The meeting was enabled thanks to the efforts of two grandchildren of the sister, Hilda nee Glazberg. Her long-lost older brother Simon flew in from Canada for the dramatic occasion.
Hilda's grandson David described the airport meeting: "It was very emotional, and there were a lot of tears... Simon landed in the airport, came out, and then stood there, not knowing where to continue. We then went in and his nephew said, 'Simon, this is your sister' - and he burst out crying... They haven't left each other since then; they talk in Yiddish, laugh, cry, and tell a lot of stories..."
The family lived in Romania during the Holocaust years, and from there went to Poland and Ukraine. Some of the family spent some time in a work-camp. After the War, some of the siblings moved to Israel. Simon served in the IDF during the War of Independence, but moved afterwards to Canada, in the footsteps of his older brother.
Though they were both in Israel at the same time, Simon - and his parents and siblings, who all survived the Holocaust - never knew if his younger sister was alive. In fact, it was via a Yad Vashem Page of Testimony that one of the siblings later filled out for her, as if she were dead, that led to the reunion.
Another older brother, also in Canada, is ill and was unable to make the trip to Israel, but the reunited family is planning to visit him in Canada soon.
David told Voice of Israel Radio, "We always wanted to know about the family's past, and we always tried to find new details. Savta [Grandmother] never liked to talk about it. One day I learned that her maiden name was Glazberg. I went to the Yad Vashem website, filled in her details without telling her, and within a minute I found a page saying she had been killed in the Holocaust..."
It took a few weeks, but in July, two months ago, David and family had tracked down their grandmother's brother's son in Canada, and he led them to their grandmother's surviving siblings. Simon will remain here to celebrate Rosh HaShanah with his new-found family.
"I looked and looked and I couldn't find her," Simon said tearfully today. "My parents [who are buried in Canada] also used to cry whenever they remembered [her]. Suddenly after 65 years, everything opens up - you won't be able to understand this."
Today (Tuesday), Hilda and Simon, accompanied by family members, arrived at Yad Vashem, commemorating their reunion at the Lecture Hall of the International Research Institute of Yad Vashem.
The Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names contains some 3 million names of Holocaust victims: 2 million of the names come from Pages of Testimony, and the remainder are from archival lists. Available at "www.yadvashem.org", over 10 million people have visited the website since the Database went online in November 2004.
Hilda's grandson David described the airport meeting: "It was very emotional, and there were a lot of tears... Simon landed in the airport, came out, and then stood there, not knowing where to continue. We then went in and his nephew said, 'Simon, this is your sister' - and he burst out crying... They haven't left each other since then; they talk in Yiddish, laugh, cry, and tell a lot of stories..."
The family lived in Romania during the Holocaust years, and from there went to Poland and Ukraine. Some of the family spent some time in a work-camp. After the War, some of the siblings moved to Israel. Simon served in the IDF during the War of Independence, but moved afterwards to Canada, in the footsteps of his older brother.
Though they were both in Israel at the same time, Simon - and his parents and siblings, who all survived the Holocaust - never knew if his younger sister was alive. In fact, it was via a Yad Vashem Page of Testimony that one of the siblings later filled out for her, as if she were dead, that led to the reunion.
Another older brother, also in Canada, is ill and was unable to make the trip to Israel, but the reunited family is planning to visit him in Canada soon.
David told Voice of Israel Radio, "We always wanted to know about the family's past, and we always tried to find new details. Savta [Grandmother] never liked to talk about it. One day I learned that her maiden name was Glazberg. I went to the Yad Vashem website, filled in her details without telling her, and within a minute I found a page saying she had been killed in the Holocaust..."
It took a few weeks, but in July, two months ago, David and family had tracked down their grandmother's brother's son in Canada, and he led them to their grandmother's surviving siblings. Simon will remain here to celebrate Rosh HaShanah with his new-found family.
"I looked and looked and I couldn't find her," Simon said tearfully today. "My parents [who are buried in Canada] also used to cry whenever they remembered [her]. Suddenly after 65 years, everything opens up - you won't be able to understand this."
Today (Tuesday), Hilda and Simon, accompanied by family members, arrived at Yad Vashem, commemorating their reunion at the Lecture Hall of the International Research Institute of Yad Vashem.
The Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names contains some 3 million names of Holocaust victims: 2 million of the names come from Pages of Testimony, and the remainder are from archival lists. Available at "www.yadvashem.org", over 10 million people have visited the website since the Database went online in November 2004.